‘The biggest unanswered question would be why the two sides went through with a press conference given that there are obvious issues to work out. As is often the case in these situations, money is at the root of the discrepancy.’

‘Wood took another wrong turn in another embarrassing moment Monday, when his family, friends, former teammates and the media assembled for a news conference that was designed to double as a retirement ceremony. It turned into an apparent dispute over money that made Wood look like another petty professional athlete.’

‘”I told him there’s a number of different ways you can leave the league,” Wolford said. “And almost all of them are really negative, really bitter and not what you want. I said this one, it’s not what you want. But considering the woulda, coulda, shoulda involved with your neck, you’re blessed.”‘

‘After the season, as part of the exit physical, we got an MRI that revealed a disc that was dangerously close to my spinal cord at C2-C3, and that was alarming. As you can imagine, this news floored me as I was merely days away from the first playoff game of my career.’

‘It makes me feel job for Eric, his family, and the rest of his teammates. It really does. I’ll never forget the look on Eric’s face. You have still memories that stay with you for a long time and that’s one of them that I remember distinctly, when Eric came off the field from the coin-toss and the look in his eyes that he was in a situation he hadn’t been in before and he was excited for the opportunity.’

‘“As soon as I got fired by the Pegulas, I was like, no chance. I got rid of all my Sabres stuff. I had the (Roger) Crozier jersey, the French Connection jerseys … I got rid of every damn one of them.”’

‘Wood was on the phone with his agent as the news conference was set to kick off and when he did appear, he spoke for just 1 minute and 42 seconds, didn’t field questions and didn’t actually announce his retirement officially.’

‘He was a team leader in the truest sense, one of those “go-to’’ guys with character in the Kent Hull and Steve Tasker mold, the guy who faced the media not just in good times but in bad. And boy was there a lot of bad after he joined the club in 2009, a big, burly, friendly, always smiling guy with curly blond locks.’

‘The veteran coach only spent one season with the Bills, but was able to be a part of the coaching staff that ended Buffalo’s 17-year playoff drought. Waufle began coaching in the NFL during the 1998 season. He served as the defensive line coach of the Oakland Raiders (1998-2003, 2010-2011), New York Giants (2004-2009) and Rams (2012-2016) before joining Sean McDermott’s staff.’

‘”Sorry for the delay,” Wood said. “Thank you to everyone who came out today. This press conference was set up a couple of weeks ago, in light of me finding out about the injury an hour before my son Garrett was born. As many of you already know given the leak on Friday, Dr. Cappuccino has informed me I will no longer be able to play football given the neck injury. Even with further treatment, rehab or surgery, a return is not possible. In Week 5 I got the first stinger of my life, and I got one the following week. After that game, we did an X-ray on my neck that showed no significant damage. After the season, as part of the exit physical, we got an MRI that revealed a disc that was dangerously close to my spinal cord at C2, C3. That was alarming.’

‘”There’s all sorts of things when you’re doing roster management,” Beane said. “He’ll stay on the roster for now. We’ll figure out what’s the best tactic for the Buffalo Bills as we move forward. Really, we’re a long way away from figuring out where we’re going.’

‘Ryan Jensen may be the most expensive option to replace Wood. The soon-to-be free agent had a breakout season with the Baltimore Ravens and finished the year as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 center (74.9 overall grade). Jensen, a physical center, is 26 years old and just entering the prime of his career.’

‘In August, Wood signed a two-year extension and team’s are allowed to request a portion back if the player retires before it’s over. Per the AP, there is a “gray” area if retirement is forced because of a career-ending injury.’

‘Injuries from his playing days made the day-to-day grind of coaching in the NFL too much to handle for another full season. “I was in constant pain on a daily basis — both knees, foot, back, ankle. All those things added up from my playing days,” Waufle told The Tribune.’

‘“As soon as I got fired by the Pegulas, I was like, no chance. I got rid of all my Sabres stuff. I had the (Roger) Crozier jersey, the French Connection jerseys … I got rid of every damn one of them.”’

‘According to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, teams can ask for a portion of bonus money to be returned if a player retires before his contract expires. There is, however, a gray area if a player retires as a result of a career-ending injury.’

‘Whitecotton makes the move to the assistant defensive line coach after spending last season as the Administrative Assistant to the Head Coach. Prior to that, Whitecotton had spent four years as a defensive assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.’

‘Eric Wood, Sean McDermott, and Brandon Beane were scheduled to meet at a press conference Monday at 1pm. What the media, and fans saw was something different. Wood read a statement at the podium, by himself, almost an hour after the scheduled start time. He spoke for 1 minute and 25 seconds, and did not take any questions from the media. Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott met seperately in scrums away from the stage.’

‘This past season, many observers felt Groy would be a better option at right guard than John Miller or Vlad Ducasse, but the Bills kept him as the main backup for all three interior offensive line positions. He was also inserted a lot when the team went to their heavy sets, using an extra offensive lineman. They even started the game that way against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in October, a 30-27 Bills’ win.’

‘“I found an hour before my son Garrett was born,” Wood said as he stood at the podium inside the Bills’ Field House on Monday. “As many of you already know, given the leak on Friday, Dr. Cappuccino has informed me I would no longer be able to play football given the neck injury. Even with further treatment, rehab or surgery a return is not possible.”’

‘”He’s a guy that truly cares about the community and the things he’s doing and so that’s always been the most impressive thing to Eric is he’s just a genuine person,” said former teammate Ryan Fitzpatrick.’

‘“As you can imagine this news floored me as I was just days removed from the first playoff game of my career. Although I will no longer be cleared to play football I am still on the Bills roster and look forward to helping out the team in some capacity.”’